Vijay’s TVK Makes Strong Electoral Debut In Tamil Nadu; Draws Comparisons With NTR’s Rapid Political Rise After Forming TDP
Tamil actor Vijay’s TVK made a strong electoral debut, challenging Tamil Nadu’s DMK-AIADMK dominance. While initially compared to MGR, analysts now liken his impact to NTR, who quickly turned political success after forming TDP. TVK led in around 110 seats but fell short of the majority mark, marking a major disruption in state politics.
Vijay’s TVK Makes Strong Electoral Debut In Tamil Nadu; Draws Comparisons With NTR’s Rapid Political Rise After Forming TDP | file pic
Chennai: When Tamil cinema’s top hero Vijay alias C Joseph Vijay floated the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam two years ago, his supporters said he will emulate the success of M G Ramachandran (MGR), a screen hero turned Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His detractors, however, said “Vijay is no MGR.”
On Monday as results of the 17th Assembly elections were being declared, one thing that became clear is Vijay is no MGR. But he is the N T Ramarao (NTR), a former Telugu superstar, who became Chief Minister of unified Andhra Pradesh in 1983, just a year after he had floated the Telugu Desam Party.
For, MGR was not a political newbie. While building a clean screen image for himself, MGR had initially travelled with the Congress before associating himself with the DMK in its formative years. The DMK and MGR used each other mutually – he would use the party as a platform to attract crowds for his films, and the party used him to promote the DMK on the screen. MGR was with the DMK for 18 years and served as its treasurer and MLA before he was expelled from the party in 1972. He then floated the AIADMK and won the debut Assembly election in 1977 winning 130 of the 234 seats.
Other film actors such as Vijayakant and Kamal Haasan, who floated parties without any political experience, failed to hold the attention of voters in the long run.
However, the case of Vijay is different from his Kollywood co-travellers. Just two years after forming the TVK, he has had a resounding success by disrupting the bipolar politics of Tamil Nadu dominated by the Dravidian majors, DMK and AIADMK for nearly five decades. On Monday late afternoon, his TVK, despite going solo and taking on two powerful alliances led by the DMK and AIADMK, had taken leads in as many as 110 constituencies with his candidates pushing even Chief Minister M K Stalin and several of his cabinet colleagues to the second place in their own home constituencies.
In that respect, Vijay has emulated NTR, though he was still short of the magical number of 118 to form the next Government.
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